Identifying Gifted and Talented Students

For detailed information regarding identification procedures in Poudre School District, please click on the following link:Identification Procedures

CogAT Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is the correlation between CogAT and IQ testing results?
The CogAT is not a tool for measuring a student's intelligence or IQ. Rather, it measures the reasoning skills that have developed during a student's educational career, even though they have not been explicitly taught. These general cognitive skills are not specific to any content area, but are skills that are used in all areas of a student?s academic experiences.

2. My student qualified for math, but is a really good reader. Why hasn't he/she be identified in that area, too (or vice versa)?
For gifted programs, teachers consider a body of evidence that includes ability, achievement, behavior characteristics and demonstrated performance.

3. Why do students take CogAT in 2nd Grade?
PSD chooses to screen all second grade students with the Cognitive Abilities Test. The second grade test is highly visual, does not have a time limit, is read aloud by the teacher, and does not require students to transfer answers to a separate answer document (students can write in the test booklet). Testing in the spring of second grade also allows for fall identification at the start of third grade. For primary grades, gifted identification is based on referrals.

5. How are these scores used?
The CogAT is often used for identification for gifted services; however, the information from your child's CogAT can be helpful to both teachers and parents. For gifted identification, the CogAT represents only one assessment in the body of evidence (in the area of intellectual aptitude/ability). When you receive your child's scores, you will receive a profile.

6. How often will my student take this test?
The CogAT is only given once, as a screener, in second grade to all students. If a student enters PSD after second grade and has one indicator for gifted identification, then the CogAT is administered.